Pirates get into shootout with Winter; fall in ECC opener

GILMAN BOYS BASKETBALL

Very little went right Tuesday for the Gilman Pirates in their Eastern Cloverbelt Conference boys basketball opener, which was an 89-17 thumping at Owen-Withee.

The Blackhawks have given Gilman all kinds of trouble with defense the past few years and Tuesday was no exception. Owen-Withee forced several turnovers early with their trapping 1-2-2 halfcourt defense, which led to plenty of transition points in the first half. When the Pirates broke the initial pressure, the Blackhawks got into passing lanes and continued to make things tough on the Pirates, who trailed 26-0 to start the game before Brayden Olynick finally got them on the board with a 3-pointer, and 50-8 at halftime.

Joey Syryczuk led Gilman with six points. Olynick finished with four, Wayne McAlpine banked in a secondhalf 3-pointer and Caleb Marion added a first-half score in the post. Dalton Wisocky and Sam Syryczuk each added a free throw.

Carter Klabon led Owen-Withee (2-1) with 20 points, Logan Amacher scored 17 and Quinn Hatlestad added 11.

The Pirates (0-5) get another tough one Friday when they host the Colby Hornets in league play at 7:15 p.m. The Pirates will be at Greenwood on Dec. 22.

Winter 90, Gilman 78

For basketball fans who crave a fast pace and plenty of offense, Gilman was the place for you on Thursday night.

The hometown Pirates had a breakout game offensively with a scoring output the program hasn’t had in a varsity game since Feb. 11, 2020. But it wasn’t quite enough as the Winter Warriors turned 22 free throws and eight 3-point baskets into 90 points in their 90-78 non-conference win.

“We played a hard game but missed some critical layups and put them on the line too many times,” Gilman head coach Bobbi Marion said. “We had some good runs but they answered right back. It was an exciting game.”

The Pirates got career scoring highs from Branden Ustianowski, who scored 28 points, and Caleb Marion, who added 24. Ustianowski added 10 rebounds for a double-double. But those totals were matched by Winter’s Albert Blair and Gunnar Grevel, who scored 28 and 27 points respectively.

After an even first five minutes, Winter put together what ultimately was the key run of the game. Leading 12-11, the Warriors went on a 15-5 run that opened up a 27-16 lead. From that point on, as Marion said, whenever Gilman made a run, Winter made a key shot or play to stop it.

The lead got to 36-23 on five straight points from Blair late in the first half, but Gilman chipped away with some free throws and an offensive putback from Max Ustianowski and another from Olynick at the buzzer to get the lead down to nine by the break at 38-29.

Winter pushed the lead to 46-32, then Gilman got a Branden Ustianowski score off an Olynick assist, a Marion score and two floaters in the lane from Ustianowski to get within 48-40. But Winter’s Jacob Rudnicki, who scored just five points, buried a wide-open 3 to cool off the Pirates.

An Adam Bednorski 3 extended Winter’s lead to 57-42 when Gilman got on another run, with Ustianowski going coast to coast for a score and getting another off a steal. Marion’s three-point play and a Joey Syryczuk hoop off an Olynick assist, plus a free throw from Ustianowski, cut the deficit to 59-53 with 9:49 still to play.

But Carter Roberts was fouled shooting a 3-pointer and made two of three free throws and Carter Petit scored in transition to get the lead back to 10. Ustianowski’s 3 and a jumper by Dalton Wisocky got Gilman within 66-60, but Greuel hit a tough scoop shot in the lane, Blair sank two free throws and Roberts canned a triple for a 73-62 Warriors lead. Anthony Syryczuk banked in a 3 for Gilman to make it 74-67, Blair answered only a couple of seconds later. Marion’s bucket made it 79-71 with 4:20 left, but that was the last time the lead got below double digits as Gilman hit a shooting dry spell and Winter made six of eight free throws in a 55-second span to open up an 85-73 lead with 2:38 to go.

Ustianowski hit 12 shots from the field, many of which came on aggressive drives to the hoop, while Marion got most of his 10 field goals posting up Warrior defenders on the left block. Wisocky hit double digits with 10 points.

Anthony Syryczuk hit two 3s for six points, Joey Syryczuk and Olynick scored four points apiece, Max Us tianowski finished with two points and Sam Syryczuk didn’t score but led Gilman with 12 rebounds.

With its eight 3s, Winter doubled Gilman’s production from the arc. The Warriors were 22 of 40 at the free throw line, while the Pirates were 10 for 17.

Roberts and Petit hit double figures with 10 points apiece for Winter, who fell to 1-3 Friday with a loss to Lake Holcombe.

Branden Ustianowski